The Maryland Farm Bureau has declined again to support efforts to grow marijuana for medical purposes in the Free State.

Officially, the powerful agricultural lobby is taking no position on the fledgling industry. For the second time in as many years, a county delegation's attempt to bring the state group on board failed to make it to a vote before the full delegation.

"It's something I think a lot of members are watching other states to see how it plays out," said Matt Teffeau, the farm bureau's assistant director of government relations. "A lot of our members are interested in it, but it doesn't have the support to move forward."

BETHESDA, Maryland -- Kevin Sabet, the man Salon called the quarterback of the new anti-drug movement, the guy Rolling Stone labeled the No.

BETHEL — First, it was testicular cancer. Then tumors were found in his lungs.

And when those had finally shrunk — thanks to an aggressive chemotherapy and radiation — Brian Tomasulo learned that the cancer had spread to his brain.

After collapsing at work one day in May 2014, the Newtown resident was rushed to the hospital, where he had surgery to remove an egg-sized tumor from his frontal cortex.

The surgery was successful, but when Tomasulo woke up, he had a whole new set of challenges to deal with.

Interest in Maryland's medical marijuana program is higher than anyone expected. The state has received more than 1,000 applications for licenses.

The first stage in approving a license is set for January, but there are so many applications the process may be delayed.

"The thing that works most completely for me is a few puffs of cannabis," said Barry Considine, of Halethorpe.

Polio left Considine's muscles so weak, he's dealing with osteoarthritis. He's in near constant pain throughout his spine, hands and knees.

Maryland's medical marijuana program can't get up and running fast enough as far as Considine is concerned.

The Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission received over 1,000 applications for licenses for the state's medical marijuana program, with the majority of the applications being for dispenser licenses.

Entrepreneurs want to build medical marijuana dispensaries pretty much everywhere in Maryland.

The state’s medical marijuana commission on Tuesday released a geographic breakdown of the 811 dispensary applications it received earlier this month – an uptick from preliminary numbers.

Commission officials also said they received more applications to grow marijuana than previously reported - 146 in all for the 15 available licenses. Another 124 applied for an unlimited number of licenses to process marijuana into something the dispensaries can sell, also more than previously reported.

More than 20 companies have applied for medical-marijuana dispensary licenses to locate in the two senatorial districts that cover Washington County, according to a breakdown of applications announced Tuesday by state officials.

The Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission has posted the more than 800 dispensary license applications received by the Nov. 6 deadline on its website, listed in each of the state's 47 senatorial districts.

In Maryland, the latest official advancement of the fight for marijuana legalization was in September, when Gov. Larry Hogan passed legislation that makes it easier for patients to obtain the drug for medical purposes — but the state's medical marijuana program is now delayed, the Baltimore Sun reported Friday. Furthermore, as of now there is no formal plan to vote on the legalization of recreational marijuana during the state's 2016 elections. 

A large number of applications to grow or dispense medical marijuana in Maryland will delay the program's rollout, the executive director of a state commission said Thursday.

The commission announced it received 882 applications for grower, processor and dispenser licenses by a Nov. 6 deadline. Hannah Byron, the executive director of the Maryland medical Cannabis Commission, said the panel will extend the application review period and modify the timeline. The commission had estimated the first stage of the application review would be complete by mid-January.

"The commission will provide an updated program schedule in the near future," Byron said.

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Maryland's nascent medical marijuana industry already booming

Medical marijuana license applications
Erin Cox / Baltimore Sun